To carry oxygen from the lungs to all the cells in the body.
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What sort of shape do red blood cells have and what does this mean?
They have a doughnut (biconcave disc) shape to give a large surface area for absorbing oxygen.
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What substance do red blood cells contain and what does that contain?
They contain a substance called haemoglobin. Haemoglobin contains a lot of iron.
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What does haemoglobin do with the lungs and what does it become? What happens in body tissues?
In the lungs, haemoglobin combines with oxygen to become oxyhaemoglobin. In body tissues the reverse happens to release oxygen to the cells.
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What do red blood cells not have? What does this allow?
Red blood cells don't have a nucleus - this allows more room for haemoglobin.
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What can a lack of iron in the diet lead to?
A lack of iron in the diet can lead to a type of anaemia, where the blood can't carry enough oxygen.
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What can white blood cells do?
They can change shape to gobble up unwelcome microorganisms.
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What do white bloods cells produce?
They produce antibodies to fight microorganisms, as well as antitoxins to neutralise any toxins produced by the microorganisms.
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What can a low white blood cell count lead to?
A low white blood cell count could increase the risk of infection, whereas a high count could mean you have an infection, or even leukaemia (cancer of the blood).
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What are platelets?
Platelets are small fragments of cells.
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What do platelets help the blood do?
They help the blood to clot at a wound - to stop all your blood pouring out and to stop microorganisms getting in.
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What can a lack of platelets cause?
A lack of platelets can cause excessive bleeding and bruising.
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What is the plasma?
The plasma is a pale yellow liquid which keeps the blood fluid and transports almost everything.
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What does the plasma transport? (1)
Red and white blood cells, and platelets.
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What does the plasma transport? (2)
Nutrients like glucose and amino acids. These are absorbed from the gut and taken to body cells.
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What does the plasma transport? (3)
Carbon dioxide - this is a waste product formed in every cell. It's transported in the blood to the lungs, where it's removed.
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What does the plasma transport? (4)
Urea - this is a waste product formed in the liver. The blood transports it to the kidneys, where it's removed.
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What does the plasma transport? (5)
Hormones - transported from glands to target organs.
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What does the plasma transport? (6)
Antibodies and antitoxins produced by the white blood cells.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What sort of shape do red blood cells have and what does this mean?
Back
They have a doughnut (biconcave disc) shape to give a large surface area for absorbing oxygen.
Card 3
Front
What substance do red blood cells contain and what does that contain?
Back
Card 4
Front
What does haemoglobin do with the lungs and what does it become? What happens in body tissues?
Back
Card 5
Front
What do red blood cells not have? What does this allow?
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